| PLATO, the prime ascetic and sage. |
| Was one of that ancient flock of sheep. |
| His Pegasus went astray in the darkness of idealism |
| And dropped its shoe amidst the rocks of actuality. |
| He was so fascinated by the invisible |
635 |
| That he made hand, eye, and ear of no account. |
| "To die," said he, "is the secret of Life: |
| The candle is glorified by being put out." |
| He dominates our thinking, |
| His cup sends us to sleep and takes the sensible world away from us. |
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| He is a sheep in man's clothing, |
| The soul of the Sufi bows to his authority. |
| He soared with his intellect to the highest heaven |
| And called the world of phenomena a myth. |
| 'Twas his -work to dissolve the structure of Life' |
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| And cut the bough of Life's fair tree asunder. |
| The thought of Plato regarded loss as profit, |
| His philosophy declared that being is not-being. |
| He natures drowsed and created a dream |
| His mind's eye created a mirage. |
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| Since he was without any taste for action, |
| His soul was enraptured by the nonexistent. |
| He disbelieved in the material universe |
| And became the creator of invisible Ideas. |
| Sweet is the world of phenomena to be living spirit, |
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| Dear is the world of Ideas to the dead spirit: |
| Its gazelles have no grave of movement, |
| Its partridges are denied the pleasure of walking daintily. |
| Its dewdrops are unable to quiver, |
| Its birds have no breath in their breasts, |
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| Its seed does not desire to grow, |
| Its moths do not know how to flutter. |
| Our recluse had no remedy but flight: |
| He could not endure the noise of this world. |
| He set his heart on the glow of a quenched flame |
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| And depicted a word steeped in opium. |
| He spread his wings towards the sky |
| And never came down to his nest again. |
| His fantasy is sunk in the jar of heaven: |
| I know not whether it is the dregs or brick of the wine-jar.60 |
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| The peoples were poisoned by his intoxication: |
| He slumbered and took no delight in deeds. |
